Social Work - Children and Families - Research Paper Example

The department of children and families in the state of Florida stipulates several employee requirements for an individual to qualify as a social worker in the department. However, employment opportunities are based on the concepts of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action. That is, as long as an individual fulfills all the other legal, technical, and educational requirements, gender, race, and religion do not matter. In essence, employment is not based on gender or race. An applicant for the post of social worker in the department of children and families requires to have passed an examination as required by the department for this particular purpose.

Additionally, an applicant requires paying a non-refundable fee not exceeding 250 dollars for the examination (Ambrosino, Hefferman, and Shuttleworth, 2011). Moreover, an applicant must have a certificate on social work program from an institution recognized by the department. Minimum requirements for the post include a one-year experience and a bachelor’s degree in a child welfare-related field such as law enforcement, social work, or education, or a master’s degree in social work. Other qualifications need a compensation of one-year experience. . Furthermore, renewal of licenses requires continuing education sessions after every two years.

The remunerations of social workers are relatively fair. Moreover, employees are offered complete benefits packages, including a full paid retirement plan, sick leave, ten fully paid holidays and two and a half weeks full paid vacation (with increments every five and tens years). Additionally, the state of Florida covers eighty percent of the life and health insurance premiums. The employees are also covered by Social Security. Otherwise, other insurance plans may be available on deductions from the payroll based on group rates.

Employment terms of social workers in Florida are relatively permanent. Social workers in Florida may willingly join the National Association of Social Workers. In 2009, child, family, and school social worker earned an annual mean wage of 38,292 dollars. Majority of social workers practice a five days, forty-hour week schedule, though they may work over the weekends and evenings to attend emergencies, community needs, or client and program needs. According to statistics, there were approximately 28,341 social workers in Florida in the year 2006.

The projected figure for the social workers in 2014 is 34,276, with a growth rate of approximately 2.2 to 3.1 percent per annum (Ambrosino, Hefferman, and Shuttleworth, 2011). Social workers are dispersed all over the state in different locations. Social workers, especially those in the department of children and families, are increasingly becoming important to the state and the nation at large. Current emphasis on the health ministry is focusing on the roles and functions of social workers to the health and wellbeing of the society. In the